Origins adam, p.1
Origins: Adam, page 1
part #3 of Chronicles of the Enlai Series
Table of Contents
Prologue
Congress Adjourned
Spark of Life
The World of Enlai
The Chief of Shadows
Child of the Light
The Haunted Forest
The Hunt
Farewell
Epilogue
The Nexus Mirror: Sneak-peek
Encyclopedia of Enlai
Chronicles of the Enlai
Origins: Adam
N. E. Michael
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 Noah Michael
All rights reserved.
Published by Asteron Press
950 Lee St.
Des Plaines, IL 60016
www.nemichael.com
Prologue
Location: The Time Palace
Time: Unknown
Calisa sat alone in the Passage of Time—the dark, endless tunnel through which the timeline flowed. The histories of hundreds of different worlds orbited her mind, but she focused on the life of a single baby girl, curled up in the arms of a simple, mortal man on a planet called Earth.
“Alia,” the name fluttered like a fleeting memory from Calisa’s lips. A smile curled beneath her closed eyes as she compared the baby’s features to her own—the child had brown hair, a stark contrast to Calisa’s golden-blonde, but they shared the same wide, shimmering eyes, gradually narrowing at the edges.
“M’lady,” a female voice whispered urgently, grabbing Calisa’s attention. “The Keeper is approaching.”
Calisa’s eyes shot open, and the images dissipated, replaced by the tunnel’s dark, endless void. The Passage had no walls. Instead, billions of distant stars and planets circled its circumference, illuminating the shaft with an ominous glow. She glanced up and to her right, where her maidservant stood waiting anxiously. From her seat on the circular, hovering platform, Calisa noted that the young woman had grown to be quite tall.
She has nearly passed the age of maturation, Calisa thought. In a few year's time, I shall have to go through it too.
“Thank you, Safira,” Calisa nodded gratefully. Her innocent, child’s voice carried an unnaturally mature sense of responsibility.
The woman replied with a brisk, nervous bow.
Calisa grabbed onto a wide, golden wheel that protruded from the platform in front of her. She turned it, and the entire platform began to spin until it faced the opposite direction. A second, golden platform approached from a distance, hovering through the empty space of the tunnel. A grand, crystal throne glittered at the center of the circular platform, upon which sat a single, cloaked figure.
A knot tightened in Calisa’s stomach at the sight of the Keeper.
“Safira,” Calisa whispered carefully. “Do not speak to the Keeper unless you are directly addressed.”
‘Yes, M’lady,” Safira replied softly, her heart racing with fear.
A heavy silence filled the tunnel as they waited, watching the figure grow closer and closer until it stopped a few feet before them. Calisa arose from her seat, and she and Safira bowed from their waists.
“Madam,” they uttered courteously, masking their intimidation.
“If only you’d give me the genuine dedication and respect you show to that abominable Earthling,” the figure rasped sharply in response, her face hidden beneath a hood.
Calisa shuddered at the distorted sound of the woman’s voice. It was constantly changing through time, as if a child, a youth, an adult, and an old lady were switching off every other word.
“Madam?” Calisa answered innocently, pretending to be hurt. “I hold you in the utmost regard. Truly.”
“Truly?” the Keeper scoffed. “I forbade you from visiting your mother’s illegitimate daughter on any timeline, yet here we are.”
“It was my fault,” Safira cut in quickly, shooting Calisa an apologetic glance. “I discovered the time coordinates of Alia’s birth, and I wished to please Princess Calisa, so I encouraged it.”
“Is that so…” the Keeper muttered broodingly. She paused for a moment, causing the maidservant’s heart to freeze in terrible suspense.
“Safira,” the Keeper said finally, studying the young woman’s long legs and curvaceous hips. “I see the maturation has treated you well, and your feminine physique has blossomed quite pleasantly. Your jawline could use a bit more detail, as well as your bosom, but that will come with time. When the Council chooses your mate, I am sure he will find you most pleasing.”
“Thank you, Madam,” Safira replied weakly, her voice shaking with trepidation as she held her breath.
“That is,” the Keeper continued, her voice lowering to an aggressive growl. “Unless you die before ever having the chance to know a man.”
“Madam, please-” Calisa pleaded as Safira’s eyes widened in fear.
“Do not interrupt me!” the Keeper raged, standing from her throne. She waved a long, bony finger at Safira. “You are a servant, and your life is meaningless! I could end your petty existence in the blink of an eye, and no living creature in this entire galaxy would shed a tear! Even Kasia’s abomination of a second daughter is higher than you, and shall address her as such! She is Princess Alia to you!”
“Yes, Madam,” Safira quivered in terror, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Madam, it was my fault. Please, do not punish her,” Calisa said softly. She diverted her gaze to the floor, praying desperately for Safira’s life to be spared.
“You are the first daughter of Azarai. Your father is heir to the god throne,” the Keeper said, her anger subsiding as she turned from Safira to Calisa. “It is not befitting of a princess to beg.”
“This will never happen again, Madam,” Calisa whispered, her voice riddled with guilt. “I promise.”
“No, it will not,” the Keeper confirmed with confidence, sitting back onto her throne. “Because I am going to teach you a new lesson. I will show you why it is imperative that, as the future Time Keeper, you do not allow your heart to become infested with feelings of love and affection. If I am ever to find you here again without my permission, you will personally see to it that your favorite slave girl is killed.”
Despite her best efforts not to, a frightened squeal escaped Safira’s lips. Calisa looked up with a heavy heart at her maidservant’s distraught, tear-riddled face.
“You see?” the Keeper pointed out patiently. “You feel sorry for the girl, and I am using it against you. Feelings make you weak.”
“But Alia is my sister,” Calisa argued. “It is natural to love your sister. I just wanted to see her.”
“You just wanted to see her,” the Keeper repeated, shaking her head disapprovingly. “That is how it begins, and this is how it ends.”
The Keeper folded back the hood of her cloak, revealing the twisted, disturbing face underneath. Every section of the woman’s skin seemed to be from a different age. One cheek appeared rosy and smooth, while the other was wrinkled and maimed. Her ears were different sizes, one of an unblemished child, and the other long and droopy. Her pointed nose was riddle with moles, yet clear and healthy at its base. A blind, cloudy eye sat above it, opposite to the asymmetrically placed, diminutive eye of a newborn.
Calisa’s eyes widened, and she swallowed forcefully, resisting the instinct to gasp.
“Playing with time is a very dangerous game,” the Keeper said solemnly. “You’d be wise to remember that.”
“Yes, Madam,” Calisa said, maintaining eye contact despite every sense in her body begging her to turn away.
“Good,” the Keeper said, throwing the hood back over her head. “Now, on to the matter for which I came. Due to this galaxy’s current lack of a God King, an anomaly has formed from a random accumulation of energy, stemming from the Electus Lunes. The Electai exist above the realm of space and time as we know it, and therefore this anomaly poses a threat to our order and timeline.”
“You mean, you could not predict it?” Calisa asked, intrigued. Her other previous worries quickly faded as an exciting idea popped into her head.
“I could not see it coming, nor the consequences it could leave on whichever future it lands before. That is why I am tasking you with locating its coordinates. Find when and where it lands, and we will prevent it from tampering with our plans. We must ensure that our intended destiny comes to fruition. This galaxy cannot exist much longer without a God King, and Azarai is the only logical choice.”
“Yes, Madam,” Calisa bowed quickly, her heart filling with excitement. “I will see it done.”
“Good,” the Keeper replied again. “That will be all, then. Report to me with the coordinates in one hour.”
The Keeper turned the wheel in front of her throne, spinning her platform around. She moved through the tunnel of stars and planets until disappearing beneath the darkness of space.
“Did you hear that!?” Calisa exclaimed after making sure the Keeper was gone. “This is the chance we have been waiting for!”
She turned to find Safira standing frozen beside her, still crying and shaking from the experience. Calisa sighed, feeling sorry for the terrified servant. She wrapped her hand around Safira’s arm and gently stroked her skin.
“The things she said about you,” Calisa said softly. “They were not true. I care about you, and you are mor
“My Princess,” Safira whimpered between tears. “If we continue to manipulate the timeline, it is only a matter of time until she catches us. She will kill me.”
“Safira, I will never let that happen, and we are so close. This anomaly, it is a blind spot. If we can prevent the Keeper from stopping it, we could trigger a chain of events and construct a new future, completely out of the Order’s control. We could destroy fate and give the galaxy a chance to determine its own path.”
“I don’t know…” Safira said nervously.
“Please, Safira, just one last time,” Calisa pleaded. “Help me send one last message to Earth through the Nexus, and I will never ask this of you again.”
Safira hesitated, gazing into Calisa’s eyes, then sighed.
“I will do it for you, my Princess. One last time.”
“Thank you,” Calisa smiled, squeezing her arm affectionately.
“First, we must locate the anomaly, and then we will send the message. The Keeper will be holding a close eye on my sister, so we will have to address this message to one of my knights. Today, Safira, we will draft a new order. The Order of the Ominus.”
Chapter One
Congress Adjourned
Atlantis
June 18, 2091
11:15 a.m
“Order in the court! Order in the court!”
The banging sound of the gavel on wood echoed throughout the great chamber house of the Atlantian Congress, where hundreds of red and gold-robed men and women sat boisterously in debate. The circular chamber house was lavishly decorated with paintings and sculptures, as well as mosaics depicting various historical legends. Grand, glass chandeliers hung down from the room’s see-through ceiling, displaying miles and miles of empty ocean.
The voices died down slowly, restoring all attention to two men and a woman seated on a stage in the center.
The bearded man with the gavel spoke first, his unique, blue robes signifying a position of authority.
“During its previous gathering, the Congress voted that action must be taken against the Lunes anomaly. In order to adhere to the principles of our surface non-interference policy, such action must not involve the direct alteration or destruction of any life, culture, or civilization on Earth,” the man spoke firmly. “In an attempt to reconcile those two positions, this assembly has agreed to conscript an outside agent to investigate the consequences of the anomaly, which is scheduled to strike the North American continent sometime in the next few days. Banai,” the speaker motioned towards the second, younger man on the stage, signaling for his turn.
Banai stood up, addressing the Congress with charisma and charm.
“Thank you, President,” Banai nodded respectfully at the previous speaker, then turned to face the crowd. “My esteemed colleagues. The Lunes is a creative, yet unpredictable energy force. When it strikes our planet, it could mold into any creature imaginable, or even worse, unimaginable. There is no way to predict whether the anomaly will pose a terrible threat, or no danger whatsoever. That is why our agent will be ordered to primarily secure the threat, and only if need be, to kill it.”
“We can’t trust an outsider!” a voice yelled from the crowd.
“This plan is ludicrous!”
“Order!” the President roared, banging his gavel down onto the table.
Banai waited for the banter to die down, then continued to speak.
“I understand your concerns. However, as the majority voted in the last meeting, the outside agent allows us to address this unique, rare threat without directly compromising our principles. I know this is a loophole, but I believe it to be justified, given the severity of the situation. This threat has no precedence, and exceptions must be made.”
Banai glanced at the dark-skinned, grey-haired woman sitting beside him. She nodded, slipping him a supportive smile.
“After consulting with Xenua, our expert on modern surface affairs, I am convinced that the Chief of Shadows would make the perfect candidate. He is a resourceful hunter, and the Shadows are known to honor their word. Xenua believes we can rely on him to keep our secrets. In exchange for his service, we will give him an offer he cannot refuse—the chance to find his family.”
“That offer violates our principles!” a man shouted from the crowd.
“Again,” Banai replied. “The information will not be given to him directly. Rather, we will refer him to another man on Earth who may be able to help him.”
“Thank you, Banai,” the President cut back in, signaling to Banai that his turn to speak was over. “After many hours of discussion, it was decided that the away team would be led by Xenua. She knows the surface better than any of us. Serana, one of our most skilled scouts, will accompany her. She will ensure that Xenua sticks to her task and does not stray anywhere near her daughter.”
The President sent the older woman a threatening glare, which she met with a painful sigh.
“That will be all then,” the President concluded, banging his gavel one last time. “Congress adjourned.”
Chapter Two
Spark of Life
Grayling, Michigan
June 20, 2091
9:23 p.m.
“That’s right, Jenny. Tonight we’ve got the honor of hosting America’s billionaire inventor, philanthropist, and outright supergenius, Jimmy Roko.”
The old, antique television buzzed with static as a middle-aged couple lay snoring on the torn, dusty couch across from it. A bowl of half-eaten tacos lay on the floor in front of them, accompanied by a six-pack of empty beer bottles.
“Thank you, Henry. It’s truly a pleasure.”
“The pleasure’s ours. Now, Mr. Roko, we were hoping you could give us some insights on the unique meteor shower your scientists claim is scheduled to strike Michigan any day now.”
“Of course, Henry. The city of Grayling is expected to feel the brunt of the impact, which is why we’ve recommended its evacuation. This meteor shower is unlike anything our planet has ever seen. My satellites have sensed a unique, extraordinary energy signature radiating from this cosmic phenomenon, which is why I have an investigation team closing in on the location as we speak…”
As the TV continued to play, a splash sounded from the house’s backyard, where a young, brown-haired boy stood at the edge of a small pond. One by one, he tossed undrunk beer bottles into the moonlit pond, watching with content as they disappeared beneath the murky water.
“This should teach you to stop watching TV and go get jobs,” the boy grumbled spitefully. “Maybe then you could afford a TV less than one-hundred years old.”
The boy peered down into the water, studying his reflection. He frowned at his dirty face and the tight, ripped shirt he hadn’t changed in weeks. The reflection of his brown eyes shimmered in the moonlight, displaying a feisty sense of determination immersed under a wave of self-pity.
He picked up another bottle of beer and flung it. Just as it struck the water, a thunderous boom rippled across the sky above him, and the boy jumped back, startled. He looked up to see what seemed to be a comet plunging down to Earth. It splintered as it crashed through the atmosphere, breaking in half with a brilliant display of colors and light. The boy’s jaw dropped as he stared at the sky, frozen in awe. The two halves of the comet changed trajectories, one of which seemed to be falling directly to where he was standing. Animated by fear, the boy turned around and sprinted back to his house, slamming the door behind him.
Moments later, the comet fragment crashed into the pond with an ear-splitting explosion of sound and light, shattering the nearby beer bottles. A circular pulse of energy shot out from the pond, smashing through the house and all nearby trees. When it subsided, the entire block lay in ruins, but the pond remained mysteriously calm and intact. Instead of splashing out of control, the water seemed to have absorbed the energy, glowing a dark, eerie blue.
